Law
week
Contractor accused of sabotaging power plant
The Rural Power Company Ltd (RPCL) is scrutinising legal provisions to cancel the operation and maintenance contract with Lahmeyer International Palli Power Services Ltd (LIPPS) for sabotaging the 140megawatt (MW) Mymen-singh RPCL plant, a well-placed source said.
LIPPS is accused of wholesale corruption, tender manipulation and exercise of unauthorised power. The over-riding influence of LIPPS had kept the RPCL hostage for a long time.
On Thursday last, LIPPS officials engaged in a serious confrontation with the high officials of RPCL, its parent organisation, the Rural Electrification Board (REB), police and magistrates. LIPPS finally shut down the 140MW two-unit power plant and fled the area.
"According to the law, any shut down of a power plant requires clearance from the Power Development Board [PDB], otherwise it is considered an act of sabotage," a well-placed RPCL source said. The REB-RPCL officials were visiting the plant site to investigate an allegation of corruption against Sky Engineers, a sub-contractor for the under-construction third phase 70MW power plant. The Daily Star, August 9.
Protect ethnic people's rights
With a call for safeguarding indigenous people's rights, different indigenous people's forums as well as social and political organisations yesterday observed World Indigenous People's Day through festivities and different programmes in the city.
Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, alias Shantu Larma, president of the Bangladesh Indigenous People's Forum, at a rally urged the indigenous community to join hands with the pro-liberation and progressive democratic forces to help establish a pro-people government in the country.
Around four thousand indigenous people from different ethnic groups across the country, determined to uphold their rights with the slogan "Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determi-nation", gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar in the morning. They demanded constitutional recognition, which has not been implemented even in 34 years since independence.
Dressed in ethnic costumes, people of the Chakma, Marma, Garo, Khashia, Tripura and Santal communities rendered songs and dance pieces as part of a daylong cultural programme at the Shaheed Minar. The Daily Star, August 10
41 pirates nabbed in Bay
The Bangladesh Coastguards yesterday arrested 41 pirates and seized five motorboats in the Bay of Bengal near the off-shore island of Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar. The coastguard made the arrests and seizure when the pirates attacked a scrap vessel and a tugboat in the morning. Sources said over 50 pirates in six engine boats attacked the scrap vessel MT Radwan and tugboat Fair Play-14 at around 8:30am. On information, 30 coast guards on board the patrol vessel Tauhid led by Lieutenant Commander Mahmud rushed to the scene and foiled the pirates' move. However, some pirates managed to escape with the sixth boat, the sources added.
The coastguards handed the pirates over to police. Prothom Alo, August 10.
14yr-old graft case against Moudud quashed
The High Court (HC) quashed a corruption case filed against Law Minister Moudud Ahmed 14 years ago. The HC bench of Justice Hashmat Ali and Justice Hatem Ali quashed the case following a petition filed by Moudud. Asked about the government position on the petition, Deputy Attorney General Helaluddin Mollah told The Daily Star last night that it was a weak case despite having some legal points. He however said, "I opposed the quashment."
The HC bench officers did not give any information about the case when asked by journalists. They even could not say when Moudud had filed the quashment petition. Now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption (Bac) filed the case with Motijheel Police Station on February 24, 1991.
Former industries minister Moudud, former chairman of BCIC and former industries secretary AKM Mosharraf Hossain and the then deputy prime minister Dr MA Matin were accused in the case. The Bac accused them of causing a financial loss of Tk 530.23 crore to the state by misuse of power. They were also accused of misappropriation of money by themselves or by helping others obtain financial benefits. The Daily Star, August 11.
Terror strike on London was inevitable: Cops
A terrorist attack on London's financial district was simply a matter of time, the area's police chief told Wednesday's Financial Times newspaper. James Hart, commissioner of the City of London police, told the British business daily that the area had been subject to "hostile reconnaissance" several times. "Every successful terrorist group pre-surveys its target. There's no doubt we've been subject to that sort of surveillance and that sort of thing has been successfully disrupted," he told the FT. Prominent buildings, businesses and tourist sites had been checked out; "anywhere where the maximum damage can be inflicted on the financial systems of the City of London and (where you can) associate that with mass murder and maximum disruption," he revealed. Hart said no arrests were made in the surveillance operations on terrorist groups, but all information would have been forwarded to intelligence agencies. AFP, London, August 11.
Fake lawyer of 15yr held
A fake advocate was arrested after practicing as a lawyer at the District Judge's Court, Dhaka for 15 years. Mohammad Abdur Rashid, son of Kazimuddin of Srirampur in Dhamrai in Dhaka, was picked up by the Brokers' Eviction Committee of Dhaka Bar Association (DBA). The committee, led by Assistant General Secretary Shamima Akhter Shammee, challenged Rashid when he was making submissions on a criminal case in an advocate's robe. But Rashid failed to give satisfactory answers or show his identity card, which all advocates are required to carry. Committee members immediately took him into their custody and turned him in to police. They also filed a cheating case against him. Rashid told reporters he had been practicing since 1990 without having the required degree by using another lawyer's membership number. The Daily Star, August 11.
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